Saturday, June 23, 2012

A Question to Dalai Lama by Shareefa Panchbhaya

Dalai Lama Wailing Wall, Jerusalem supporting Zionist

“His Holiness, around the time Tibetans lost their rights when they were occupied by China, another nation faced a similar tragedy, the Palestinians. The Israeli occupation of Palestine continues with full support from the United States and the American Israeli Political Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Millions of indigenous Palestinians have been made refugees on their own land and have lost the right to return to their homeland. We sometimes read your statements sympathetic to Israel but not on the suffering of the Palestinians. Could you please enlighten us with your view on the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians under illegal Israeli occupation?”

The Dalai Lama responded along the lines of “The Jewish viewpoint of Israel is one of ancient times where they were made refugees thousands of years ago. I met groups of Palestinians who wanted their rights. It is difficult to judge but they should live together and help each other. In Jerusalem the land is greener and they use every technique. The side of Palestine is dry and not green. They should use the skills of the Jews and live together. On my second visit to Tel Aviv, I met a small group of Palestinians and Israeli’s living together in harmony. Israeli President Shimon Peres I know him, he is genuine for peace. With more interactions both for peace, sooner or later a clash will sort the problem. Palestine is an older issue than the Tibetan issue but violence is still involved. It is very sad.”

Anyone who is genuinely compassionate can recognise injustice without being obliged to smile and play the violin to it but to have the courage to stand against it, regardless of the lack of support one may receive. Which compassionate individual would join hands with an oppressor spilling the blood of a nation in order to free their people whose blood is also being spilt by a different oppressor? Is the Dalai Lama placing more value on the rights of Tibetans over other oppressed occupied nations? Dalai Lama plays into the hands of Western powers, supportive of states and leaders who are warmongers in different countries which champion imperialism and colonialism. He encouraged 1.3 million Chinese people to know the reality of their state and regarded censorship as being immoral. He praised the Indian government which was contradictory considering they are responsible for the occupation in Kashmir. He admired India for their ‘religious tolerance’, failing to recall the massacre of thousands in Gujarat less than ten years ago. Compassion should allow every occupied nation to unite and confront their oppressors, recognising which nations are the oppressors and which nation is the oppressed which Dalai Lama failed to do so. To stand side by side with the oppressor who slaughters nations but to only comment negatively on the oppressor of your people, does not define compassion but obligation and responsibility. It was already difficult to stomach Barack Obama issuing the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Shimon Peres, but the Dalai Lama praising him metres away from me was even more painful. Anyone who is legitimately chauffeured around the world to champion the rights of their occupied nation, the agenda and interests of those who support these individuals needs to be scrutinised.